Never Gone
by Shinomori's Woman
Summary: As long as time goes on, I swear to you that I will be...Never Gone. bsb


_**A Promise Kept**_

_**Disclaimers: No. I don't.**_

_**Dedicated to all those who read, loved and reviewed MINE. **_

"_I'm sorry , Misao." His voice was unquivering. "I can not do this." His words sounded much louder than he intended them to in this pin drop silence striking her sensitive and keenly trained shinobi ears. It seemed like hours as she slowly looked up to his face, finding nothing but the same grave eyes that expressed no emotion. She saw his mouth parting, lips moving but she couldn't make out the words nor could she understand what he was saying . Through her hazy conscience she watched his mouth form the words "Forgive me" as he stood up, momentarily blocking her view with his traditional, black silk kimono and walked away from the once joyous occasion._

_Angry shouts and desperate pleas rang throughout the temple accompanied with choking sobs from the ladies. She sat there, still kneeling in front of the priest, unmoving, the commotion around not reaching her at all. A trembling hand touched her shoulder, wanting to comfort her but no words came out and Omasu hastily retreated her hand before running out of the temple, crying._

_It could have been an hour or more, a decade or forever. She didn't know. In slow motion she looked up, taking in her surroundings in the barren , wonderfully decorated temple. The priest had long left, knowing his services were no longer required. The guests had mercifully left her alone, saving her the humiliation. She stared at the lone sake cup set on the small table and her hands reached out for it as if on their own. They stopped just before touching the cup, her gaze falling on her hands, slender pearly wrist and slim, delicate fingers. Her nails were not painted, an exception since traditional brides were painted from head to toe to bring out her best looks. But he liked it simple, nothing artificial so she kept it that way. Everything had been done the way he liked it. Nothing extravagant. A simple ceremony, a few guests and a warming dinner in the cold winter. He had chosen the time too. He liked winter, he liked the purity of the snow. _

_She looked out and ironically, it was snowing. Entranced , she stood up , her feet carrying her out of the temple. Slithering over the cold stone stairs barefooted, she stepped lightly on the soft snow, her hands instantly reached out wanting to catch those small, delicate snowflakes floating around her. Tiny drops of white landed on her outstretched palms as her eyes searched the sky for more, something more, something she had lost, something she couldn't understand, something she desperately needed. She tripped over a hidden stone, the thudded land on the chilling, wet snow brought her back to the ground. She laid there motionless, snow falling continuously covering her lithe form. The sun shifted across the dim sky and small glint caught her aqua eyes. Reaching out, she cradled it in her palms, the cold surface of the metal cutting through her porcelain skin. Dark red streak of blood seeped out, tainting the white snow. A small drop landed perfectly on the white carpet, mesmerizing her with its dark sparkle . She smiled._

**...**

Aoshi never liked weddings. It gave him an odd feeling. An eerie , uncomfortable sensation seeping deep into his being, threatening to waver his soul. He didn't know why. It had always been like this since he could remember. It wasn't always this severe, but the feeling seemed to creep deeper as time passed. Aoshi was a logical man. But this was something his logic couldn't explain. Forcing the oddness to a far corner of his mind, he proceeded to wish the couple happiness.

Megumi looked wonderful in the soft pink lavish wedding gown. She had been always been an elegant woman, but today, she looked magnificent. By her side, was Sagara Sanosuke, in his tuxedo and Aoshi had to admit, he looked good. **They **looked good.

"Ah! Aoshi! I'm so glad you're here!" Megumi smiled and eased out from the crowd surrounding the newly wed couple and her loyal husband dutifully followed.

"Congratulations, Megumi. And you too , Sagara." The wedding was actually over. It was the reception. Aoshi handed her the bouquet of white roses she loved so.

"OH! They are lovely Aoshi! Thank you! You know, you didn't have to do that." Aoshi returned her light embrace as she murmured to his ear. "I'm sorry, Aoshi. I hope you understand." Aoshi patted her shoulder softly as a sign of reassurance and stepped back.

"You keep her happy, Sagara." It felt slightly weird to greet his ex-fiance's husband but he knew they were meant to be together.

"I will, man." Sagara grinned widely and excused themselves to meet the other guests as Aoshi walked towards the less crowded part of the party where he found Himura and his wife, Kaoru . Nodding slightly at them, he proceeded to sit in a secluded corner trying to get his thoughts together. He had dated Megumi , his classmate for about two years and then they had decided to tie the knot. He didn't know if it was irony or just coincidence, everything had started to go wrong. Megumi had faced an accident just before their engagement which postponed the event for a few weeks. And also, as fate was against them, she started to get eerie feelings about their marriage. To confirm her suspicion , the resort that had been chosen for the occasion had collapsed without any reason and miraculously, nobody had been hurt. After that, they had decided to part ways for a while and that's when she met Sagara and within 9 weeks of that, here they were already married.

The only thing Aoshi couldn't fit in the picture was the dream, or as he called, vision he so frequently had. It started to get regular and clearer as the day of his wedding approached and he often found himself waking up in cold sweats. Aoshi jolted on his seat as a chilly breeze perfumed with sakura blossoms swept past, touching him particularly. He looked around, everybody seemed unaffected and raking his eyes through the happy crowd, he caught one face and suddenly his heart stopped. Aoshi breathed calmly and looked again. There was no one. For a moment he thought he had seen someone behind the wonderfully decorated pillars. Not just any face, the face that haunted him day and night, the smile that froze his heart with an unknown pain. The girl from his visions. The same girl, the pretty young woman surrounded by blurry white . Aoshi sharply turned around as he felt a familiar presence and found nothing but the lingering scent of sakura. Inhaling deeply, he silently excused himself from the party.

…

As he was getting ready for the date, Aoshi checked the time and he knew he had a good few minutes in hand. He walked to the wide, open balcony as he felt the need of fresh air. His past few dates had been completely devastating as one of them had a minor accident and the other had accused him to be cursed by a dark soul as she claimed herself to be threatened by a ghost. He obviously had paid no heed to the crazy woman but silently hoped this date went well. It was a blind date, set up by Sagara and for once he tried trusting him. He looked at the garden from above, the garden was beautiful indicating it was well-cared for by an expert. He shifted his attention to the lone sakura tree , branches swaying slightly beckoning him to come closer. He released a deep breath as he walked away from the view. He didn't know but the tree made him feel uncomfortable, lonely somehow. It invited him to come closer. And sometimes he found himself spending hours beneath its floral branches.

At the soft sound of the door bell, he padded downstairs and opened the door. As he suspected, his date was here.

"Hi, Aoshi." She looked absolutely seductive in the blood red gown and immediately, he disliked her taste.

"Come in, Yume-san." Red made him sick and the silky material reminded him of flowing blood. He ushered her inside and led her to the living room. She pouted at his lack of communication and bodily tried every way to seduce him and failed miserably. Aoshi suddenly felt disgusted and decided he was never again going to trust Sagara for his choices. He could feel his anger rising and suddenly, a familiar wind swept by, calming his senses. It felt strange but it wasn't the first time he relaxed in the scent of sakura. Lost in the senses Aoshi didn't realize Yume had slid closer until she placed her palms flat on his thigh.

"Yume-s.." Aoshi immediately tried to remove her hand but she had pressed herself closer shutting him up effectively. He was a man after all, single and celibate for a long time.

"Just enjoy, Aoshi." She purred seductively and he felt himself slowly giving away. His almost closed eyes snapped open as a turbulent wind whished around and he pushed the advancing woman away at the sound of glass shattering somewhere in the house.

"What the…" He heard Yume screech as the smell of sakura grew stronger and ignoring her, he turned around to check outside, where the weather seemed just perfect. The wind had stopped just as suddenly it came and Aoshi returned his attention to the displeased woman sprawled on his plush couch.

"I'm sorry, Yume-san." He half-heartedly apologized, his heart racing faster than usual at what had just happened. He helped her up on her feet and she pushed herself away from him.

"What the hell was that for! You bastard!" Venom dripped from her voice as she straightened her clothes.

"I'm really sorry Yume-san. The wind and the sound startled me." He tried sincerely this time, choosing to state the fact.

"What wind! **And** **what sound**! God! I've never been so humiliated in my life!" She rattled on as she strode away and Aoshi didn't attempt to stop her. What sound? What wind? What did she mean? He raked his hand through his silky hair and proceeded to investigate what had made the sound. He searched the entire house but found no broken windows or any shattered glass piece. What was that? He could swear he heard something crashing. And the wind? Where did it come from? The windows were closed and the weather was perfect. He stepped outside, and walked towards the sakura tree. It was still, almost angry. Aoshi shook his head. What was wrong with him? A gentle breeze drifted flooding his senses with the smell of fresh sakura and he closed his eyes. He snapped them open instantly as the familiar smile assaulted his dark view. He stared bewildered at the gently swaying tree. What was happening?

…

Two weeks after the incident Aoshi found himself questioning the possibility of whatever had happened as an activity of his sub-conscious mind. But the smell…the fresh smelling sakura…he groaned again caught in the whirlwind of his own sanity and impossible occurrences that he so frequently faced. It had even started to effect his work and thus, he had decided on taking a small break and hence, here he was, on this secluded resort somewhere deep in the mountains. As he sat there, perched on a small rock just by the natural stream his mind wandered to the image so vividly etched on his mind. Who was she? The dreams never got clearer. Just a blurry image of the innocent woman and her smile. A smile so beautiful and so sad. He often wondered what happened to her? What had caused her such sadness? Was she even someone real? Or just a fragment of his imagination? Letting out a deep breath, he stared into the clear water of the stream studying his reflection. Unable to resist, he scooped some of that crystal water into his palms and splashed on his face. He closed his eyes as the cool water soothed his skin and blindly reached for some more. Feeling a soft breeze caress his wet face he snapped his eyes open just in time to catch a flash of white disappear into the rippling water. He instantly turned around to catch the owner of the fading reflection but found no one. Only the scent of sakura lingered.

Aoshi stood up from his kneeling position and searched around. There was no sakura tree. No floral trees in fact. But the smell. It was real. Every time he felt the wind, the smell, something had gone wrong. His wedding, his dates. The woman he was romantically associated with. Was he going crazy? This was not possible. If he wasn't he would become one soon. He needed answers. Soon. _**Now. **_ He fisted his hands and closed his eyes. No, he did not believe in spirits . But he needed to know. Even if it meant trying something as crazy as this. Breathing deeply, he opened his eyes.

"WHO ARE YOU?" He yelled, his eyes searching desperately around.

Who are you? Who are you? His words echoed in the closed mountains but no answer came.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? He was getting frustrated now.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?" Only echoes.

"WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU? WHY DO YOU HURT THE WOMEN I **LOVE**!" Aoshi frantically looked around as a sharp gale had started to blow. Leaves started to float around and the sound of the raging wind was deafening.

"Show yourself to me!" He yelled over the wind. The wind grew and the smell of sakura began to get stronger. Getting bolder, he continued. "Reveal yourself." Suddenly the wind grew so sharp it whipped his face and the smell of sakura was overwhelming.

"STOP! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He couldn't take this anymore. Real or not, he just wanted it to go away. **All of it**. He fell on his knees, hands covering his ears. Shaking his head repeatedly he whispered to the fading wind. "Please, go away! I can't take it anymore. Please!"

He looked up feeling a soft touch on his cheek and watched the woman in the white wedding kimono with that same sad smile fade with the dying wind. He parted his lips to stop her, stretched his palms to hold her back but the last thing that he remembered was the distinct smell of soft sakura petals before he lost himself to darkness.

…**..**

It had been almost four months since then and Aoshi had never told anyone what had happened to him in the mountains. But he knew what had happened. She had left him. Finally. There were no dreams, no wind, no sakura blossoms. It had taken him sometime to believe but he had accepted it as something surreal and tended to never revisit those times. He gave a soft smile as he settled himself back to work putting an end to all those unanswered questions that bothered his mind.

…**.**

_Misao couldn't stop smiling. Finally, finally she was going to have what she had longed for all these time. Finally, Aoshi had asked for her hand in marriage from Okina. Finally, Aoshi-sama was going to be hers. After all the pain and heartache, her loneliness was going to end. After all that guilt and all that remorse, Aoshi-sama was going to start over, with her! Finally, they were going to be together. And happy! She glanced up towards the temple and paused momentarily. " I promise Aoshi-sama, I'll never leaveyou alone." She silently vowed as she climbed up the stairs with his tea. She smiled as she pushed open the shoji door._

_Aoshi opened his eyes as the breeze through the open door carried the soft smell of sakura petals to his sensitive nose. _

" _Misao."_

…**..**

A year had already passed by. And today was his wedding. Aoshi looked out the window enjoying the soft snowfall on the open grounds. Finally he was going to be together with the woman that he loved. And this time, there had been no interruptions. He was relieved and assured. Whatever had happened in the past was a distant memory today. He could almost deny her existence. He slowly prepared himself to leave for the ceremony to be held outside.

A shrill scream cut through his happy thoughts and he ran out towards the source. He stopped dead in his tracks as thick smoke clouded his vision. He frantically looked around searching for his to-be-wife as he pushed through the chaotic mass scurrying away for their lives. He spotted her, running hand in hand with her **best friend, **not giving a glance to where he was.

Aoshi stood motionless as he stared intently at the flame licking dangerously at the ancient shrine. Just behind the curtain of raging flame, his eyes caught a pearly figure clad in sheer white disappear slowly within the thick grey mist. He could almost hear the gentle breeze whisper the words in his ear as nothing but the sweet scent of sakura lingered.

"_**I'll never leave you alone Aoshi-sama." **_

…_**.**_

**A/N: Hi! I don't know how much you enjoyed but I have put a lot of effort in here. I didn't want to post it but my bff likes it. A lot. She's been through rough times these few days..(yes! pm! hope u enjoyed their company!). For you wanty's girl!**

**I know Aoshi is a s.o.b! But I like it. I hope you really understand the ending! Pls let me know what you perceive of it. I had two more ideas about the ending but we (my bff & I) decided this was better. Please review!**

**p.s: I hope you find it creepy!( That's the point of it all!)**


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